Arguably no team in the NFL has gotten off to a more disappointing start relative to expectations than the Houston Texans, who now sit at 0-3 after this weekend's loss to the divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars. It's been a particularly rough start for CJ Stroud and the offense, who have looked like a shell of their 2023 selves so far this year.
Still, the Texans remain a talented roster, and not everyone is abandoning ship just yet.
Recently, former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made a bold proclamation about Houston's prospects moving forward this season.
“I think the 0-3 Houston Texans will still make the playoffs this year,” said Fitzpatrick. “Their offense can't get any worse. There's nowhere to go but up. Their defense is still elite. Nico Collins is heating up. I can't imagine that CJ Stroud is not going to get this thing headed in the right direction.”
Tough times for the Texans
Entering this year, expectations were high for a Houston Texans team that has made it to the divisional round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons. Last year, CJ Stroud's play dropped off a bit from his historic regular season, but a lot of that was at least initially chalked up to the infamous sophomore slump.
However, those struggles have continued into the 2025 season for Stroud, although some fans have pointed to the Texans' poor offensive line as an explanation for that.
As Fitzpatrick mentioned in his soliloquy, the Texans' defense remains an elite unit, and could theoretically help the team win some games moving forward as their offense flounders.
However, if Houston is going to make good on Fitzpatrick's bold prediction, Stroud and the offense will have to get going at some point sooner or later.
The good news for Houston is that they have a a (seemingly) very winnable game coming up against the also-winless Tennessee Titans. That contest is slated to kick off on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET from Houston.
